News

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert signed orders last week appointing and reappointing members to two committees, including the Municipal Court Clerks Education Committee, and one of Liberal’s own was among those appointments.

Karla Mendoza, a Liberal Municipal Court clerk, was appointed for a term that will run through June 30, 2028. Mendoza is rather new to the legal field, and she said she is honored for the appointment.

“I started working at the Liberal Municipal Court two and a half years ago, I came here from working as a phlebotomist at the hospital, so it was a really big change for me,” Mendoza said. “I wanted to try something new, and I'm always opening to learning new things, so this seemed like a great opportunity to get to know more about the legal system and the courts and all of that, so I decided to apply. I've absolutely loved everything I've learned. When I started, it was a major change coming from working in the medical field. I've learned a lot about what dockets are and how the overall system works. It's also great being able to interact with the public and getting to help people who come to the window, and I also enjoy working with Kim [Clinkingbeard] and the judges and everyone else. There's been so, so much I've learned, and it's been amazing.”

Mendoza’s journey to her new appointment began a few months ago.

“Kim and I had briefly talked about it back in March when I came back from my first court clerk conference. When I came back, she'd asked me how I felt about the conference, and I told her how much I'd enjoyed it and how much I'd learned and how many people I met,” Mendoza said. “Then, a few weeks later, Kim told me the committee was looking for some new people, and then it was about a week and a half ago asking if I was interested in being part of the committee. I said yes, and then it was only a short time ago when I got the call saying I had been appointed to the committee and we'd be meeting in a couple weeks. Then, when I got the call, I was really excited but also a little nervous since I've never served on a committee like this before. But after I talked to Kim and looked into everything more, I got more excited because I feel like there's a lot I'll be able to bring to the table. And I won't be the only new person on the committee, there's someone else from around the Southwest Kansas area who will be a newbie too. It'll be awesome being able to learn from other people.”

The Municipal Court Clerks Education Committee focuses on providing education and training opportunities for municipal court clerks in Kansas. The committee identifies the educational needs of municipal court clerks and then plans and implements programs to meet those needs, and the committee is also in charge of reviewing and updating the Municipal Court Clerks Manual.

“Then, during our big conference, which will be next March, we'll be brainstorming ideas of how to deal with a bunch of different topics like employee burnout, going paperless, etc.,” Mendoza said. “There's really a lot we do, and I’m excited to work with everyone. With my first meeting in a couple weeks, I'm excited to see and hear what other courts are like, because we're all different and have our own ways of doing things, so I'm excited to learn how other courts throughout the state operate.”

And it’s not just her upcoming work with the committee Mendoza said she is excited about.

“I'm ready to get started with the committee, I think that'll be amazing,” Mendoza said. “We have some new technology stuff going on at the Municipal Court, so I'm excited to see all of that implemented – we recently installed an 80-inch smartboard in the courtroom, so I'm excited to see how all of the other technology fits in. We're also planning on doing some remodeling in the lobby soon, so I'm looking forward to that work too.”

Overall, Mendoza said, she is excited to be a Southwest Kansas voice on such a major entity.

“I'm excited to be a voice from the area, and I'm really looking forward to sharing my input in terms of what it's like in this area. A lot of people don't realize how rural we are and how things run in this area, so it'll be great sharing with people what my work is like in Southwest Kansas,” Mendoza said. “Since I'm still rather young, I'm excited to share some new perspectives and ideas at the table and also be open to learning from everyone else, because that's the best part of being part of an entity like this. I hope I can be part of the committee for a while and see the changes to our conference and everything else. I'm looking forward to seeing what changes get made and being a long-term voice for Southwest Kansas. I'm excited to represent Liberal and the Southwest Kansas area on this committee and doing my best to help as much as I can.”